RIZAL IN SPAIN (1882 – 1885)
Depar ture to Depar Spain
Depar ture to Depar Spain
May 3, 1882 – Rizal left the Philippines for Spain
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His mission was to complete his medical course and to learn about the life and culture culture of Euro European pean nations.
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Another “secret mission” was to prevent prevent marrying marr ying Leonor Rivera, his cousin.
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Only a handful handful of trusted family friends friends were were informed.
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In order to avoid detection, he used the name JOSE MERCADO, name of his cousin cousin in Calamba. Calamba.
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Before his departure, he wrote farewell letters to his parents and to his sweetheart Leonor.
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On board the vessel Salvadora, Jose made sketches of the things he saw: the coast of Manila Bay, the coastline of Palawan and Borneo, and his fellow passengers.
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Most of his fellow passengers were foreigners and Spanish employees on their way back to Spain who spoke ill of the Philippines.
First Stop: Singapore Stayed there for two days and lodged at the Hotel de Paz
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Toured the British colony and was impressed by its progress and beautiful places like the botanical garden, temples, and art galleries
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After two days, Jose boarded the Djemnah which will bring him to Spain.
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He noted that Djemnah was larger and cleaner than the Salvadora.
His French which he learned in Ateneo could not be understood by the French-speaking passengers so he communicated with a mixture of Spanish and Latin and hand gestures.
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JOSE RIZAL MARKER IN SINGAPORE
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Colombo, Ceylon Ceylon (Sri Lanka) It was Jose’s journey to Colombo that was important for him to improve his knowledge of the French language.
Egypt En route through the Suez Canal, Jose got off at the Red Sea terminal and was amazed by the impressive moonlight scenery in Suez and was engrossed with the multicultural people and language of the place.
Before SUEZ CANAL
Italy Jose reached Napoli ( Naples) was briefly astounded by its dynamic citizens and the picturesque wonders of the municipality particularly the Mt. Vesuvius and the Castle of St. Telmo.
France Jose arrived at France for the first time at Mersailles, where he visited the Chateau d’If , the fortress famous as the setting for Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.
Arrival In Spain
Jose arrived in Barcelona, the capital city of the Spanish province of Cataluña and Spain’s 2nd largest city.
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He noted that it was dark, ugly, and dirty as compared with other European cities.
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Jose noticed that the people were not very hospitable.
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He stayed in Barcelona for the duration of the summer vacation.
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He met with former classmates from the Ateneo who gave him a party in their favorite cafè at the Plaza de Cataluña .
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He wrote his first nationalistic essay entitled Amor Patrio (Love of Country) which was published in Diariong Tagalog translated by MH del Pilar.
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Laong-laan (pen name)
The University Student In Madrid UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE MADRID
After the summer vacation, Jose enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid with two courses, Medicine and Philosophy and Letters
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He also studied painting, sculpture, French, German, and English at the Academy de San Carlos
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UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE MADRID
He also took lessons from a private tutor who taught him shooting and fencing at the Hall of Arms of Sanz and Carbonell.
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Jose lived a frugal life while in Spain.
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His brother Paciano gave him 700 pesos before he left.
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He allowed himself to spend only 35 pesos a month for food, clothing, and books .
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Jose took baths less often in Spain because baths cost 35 centavos each. His only vice was lottery and attending shows at the theater.
He spent his free time visiting libraries, attending lectures, religious fiestas and operas.
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He also spent time visiting friends at the Paterno residence or sipping coffee at the Puerta del Sol.
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PUERTA DEL SOL
Jose was drawn to Dr. Miguel Morayta, a liberal, who was an advocate of freedom and selfdetermination of all peoples.
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Jose’s Lovelife In Spain Jose met Consuelo Ortega while visiting her father, Don Pablo Ortega Y Rey, a Spanish liberal who lived in the Philippines.
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Jose wrote her a love poem entitled “A la Señorita C.O.Y.R.”.
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CONSUELO ORTEGA
Consuelo reciprocated Jose’ love, but it was a short-lived romance.
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Jose’s friend, Eduardo de Lete was also in love with Consuelo. Besides, Jose was still engaged to Leonor Rivera at that time.
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Consuelo later married Eduardo de Lete.
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EDUARDO DE LETE
CIRCULO HISPANO FILIPINO
Jose’s meeting with fellow Filipinos and liberal Spaniards paved the way to joining the Circulo Hispano-Filipino.
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The group was basically a social conglomeration and it held informal programs which included poetry reading and debates.
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Jose wrote a poem for the group entitled “Me Piden Versos” [They Ask Me (for) Verses].
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Eventually politics became part of the discussion of the group centering on the need for reforms in the Philippines.
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In later years conservative elements in the Circulo distanced themselves from the group which eventually faded away.
Entry into the freemasonry
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Freemasonry is outlawed by the Church because its beliefs are contrary to its doctrines.
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Members of masonic organizations are considered sinners and are obliged to retract before they could receive any of the sacraments.
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If they die they are denied Christian burial and are buried in non-Christian cemeteries.
Why Did Rizal Join the Freemasonry? Jose was impressed by the mason’s outlook in life and adopted their view that knowledge should be achieved by the light of reason and the universal brotherhood of men.
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He joined the masonry because he opposed the practices of the many friars in the Philippines.
He believed in the principles the masonry was fighting for and also because he needed the support of fellow masons who were prominent in Spanish society.
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Jose’s masonic name was Dimasalang (ungraspable).
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He stopped going to church regularly and began to challenge matters of faith, preferring to know it by the light of reason.
His faith in the existence of God nevertheless remained firmly entrenched in his deepest beliefs as seen in his writings and letters.
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Completion of Studies In Spain
Licentiate in Medicine June 21, 1884 – Jose completed his medical studies and was given the title Licenciado en Medicina (Licentiate in Medicine) which would enable him to practice medicine.
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Jose received a rating of Aprobado or “Fair” which was lower than his grades at the University of Santo Tomas.
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Jose continued studying subjects that would have led to a Doctorate in Medicine, but he failed to present the thesis required for graduation and was not able to pay the corresponding fees.
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Being a holder of a licentiate only enabled Rizal to practice medicine. His degree did not authorize him to teach medicine.
Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters June 19, 1885 – Jose obtained the degree Licenciado en Filosofia y Letras (Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters).
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Jose achieved higher grades in Philosophy and Letters with a rating of Sobresaliente or “Excellent” .
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He was qualified to serve as a professor of humanities in any Spanish university.
Training in Ophthalmology Jose decided to improve his training in medicine specializing in ophthalmology by working as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert, a leading French ophthalmologist in Paris, from October 1885 to March 1886.
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He also trained in Germany under various expert ophthalmologists.
